# How do I make sugar-free ice cream?

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 7, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172 "2008-06-07T20:59:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 6\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/1 "2008-06-07T20:59:20Z")

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Is it even possible to do at home? I want to make no-sugar ice cream (for a diabetic person), cinnamon-flavored.

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**Author:** ![VunderBob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/839c29/32.png) [@VunderBob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/VunderBob)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/2 "2008-06-07T21:32:59Z")

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[QUOTE=Fish]  
Is it even possible to do at home? I want to make no-sugar ice cream (for a diabetic person), cinnamon-flavored.  
[/QUOTE]

Use Splenda instead of sugar, cup-for-cup in the recipe you choose. I’m of no help in the cinnamon department.

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**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/3 "2008-06-07T22:16:37Z")

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One problem I’ve faced is that sugar improves the ice cream’s consistancy by helping the water content remain slushy. The sugar-free ice cream I’ve made was ok straight out of the maker but froze rock solid if stored. Commercial sugar-free ice cream is loaded with emulsifiers like guar gum to prevent this.

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**Author:** ![Fish](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/bc8723/32.png) [@Fish](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fish)\
**Post date:** [June 7, 2008, 10:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/4 "2008-06-07T22:34:46Z")

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I make my ice cream with egg yolks, which also emulsify; I think the guar gum is also to retard ice crystal formation.

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**Author:** ![ZipperJJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zipperjj/32/211_2.png) [@ZipperJJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ZipperJJ)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/5 "2008-06-08T03:27:03Z")

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If you figure out the consistency part (I totally forget how I used to make SF ice cream…but I did), try [Davinci Syrups](http://www.davincigourmet.com/) for flavoring. It’s flavored liquid Splenda. Liquid Splenda is coveted in the sugar-free world.

[Torani](http://torani.com/) also makes SF syrup.

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**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\
**Post date:** [June 8, 2008, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-i-make-sugar-free-ice-cream/452172/6 "2008-06-08T03:48:02Z")

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I’m not sure about the sugar free part, but if you use real cinnamon, it may actually help [lower the need for insulin.](http://www.diabeteshealth.com/read/2004/11/01/4013.html) While this can be a great thing, you should, if you use a lot of it, let your diabetic know about it so s/he can do extra checks on the blood sugar.

Oh, and the cinnamon used in the studies is _cinnamomum cassia_, the common American “cinnamon”, not _cinnamomum zeylanicum_, the expensive, specialty store sold “real” cinnamon.